Yugioh Heroes!: Book One
by Black Dragon of the Bayou
Summary: The pieces are all falling into place. A struggle of epic proportions is about to begin. Will Yugi and his friends be caught in the crossfire? First part of 3-part series.
1. Phoenix Rising

**A/N: **Hello readers…hope life is treating you pretty good. Anyway, this is just a little something I came up with while I was ill recently; I hope you enjoy it. This is the beginning of a 3-Part Fanfic series, and I think it may turn out nicely. Just to clear this up before I begin…This fic will be set between the Battle City and Dartz sagas, just in case you are looking for a time period to frame it under. Also…there will be some instances of Dueling in later chapters. If you know a reliable source on the web that I can look up some information on the Duel Monsters card game itself, I would appreciate it if you let me know. Enjoy!

Bold printNarrator Speaking Italicized printFlashback 

"Speech"Character Speaking

'Thought'Character Thinking

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or anything else that will be mentioned in this fic. All I own is this plot and the fingers I type with.

Yugioh Heroes: Book One 

**Chapter One: Phoenix Rising**

Hello…my name is Alex Bannon, and this is my story. Well…most of it is about me anyway. It has three main parts to it: part one is about a madman's plot to control the world with his company (shame on you if you think I'm talking about Seto Kaiba!), part two is about the revealing of his ultimate weapon and how me and my friends stop it, the third and final part is the final battle between his daughter (who I'll tell you more about later) and my team of fighters. I guess I'll stop bogging you down with details and get to the actual story. The whole thing began about seven years ago, when I was 17 years old…

The young man ran as fast as his feet could take him. He could hear the sirens behind him, the screeching sound piercing through what was otherwise a cool autumn night. His medium length blond hair flowing behind him, the lad found an alley where he thought he could hide.

'I should be able to hide here for a while…those cops probably won't chase me here.'

He breathed heavily as he watched the police cars speed by, no one stopping to search for him. After about fifteen minutes or so of waiting, the boy cautiously emerged from his hideout, only to be met by those who were trying to apprehend him.

"Put your hands up! Right now!"

The boy realizing that he had been caught, did as he was told and gave himself up.

If you hadn't noticed yet…that kid is me! My delinquent ways seemingly catching up to me, I was sent to NYPD headquarters for questioning/interrogation. What happened next was a bit surprising…

The boy sat in the interrogation room, his head downcast. Detectives had come in several times, urging him to confess to the crimes they say he had committed. All of them failed. True…they had overwhelming evidence against him, but refused to speak until he was given access to a lawyer. They had no choice but to grant his request.

While he was waiting…a short, pot-bellied man with gray hair walked into the room. He was wearing a blue striped suit, his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"Well…what's your name, kid?"

The boy looked up, his green eyes almost emotionless. "My name is Alex…who the hell are you?"

The man laughed, his belly bouncing up and down as he did so. "My name isn't important at the moment…what is are the charges that you are facing."

He pulled out a manila folder and began reading the charges that Alex would face in court.

"Assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, resisting arrest, assault on a police officer, armed burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia…. my goodness! You've built up quite a record for yourself young man!"

Alex laughed in a sarcastic fashion. "Yeah…pretty impressive, don't you think?"

The man sat down, putting his briefcase on the table. Suddenly his face grew serious. "The only thing that's impressive about this situation is the amount of jail time that you will be serving if this case goes to trial. You have to plea out."

"What for, so I can spend half my life in prison trying to not become someone's bitch?"

"No…so that you can clear your record."

Alex looked at the old man in front of him as if he had gone insane. "What the hell are you babbling about?"

"If you plead guilty to all counts, I will personally request that you be enrolled in my program. You complete the program, your record will be erased."

"Completely?"

"Completely."

Alex was silent for a moment, thinking this thing through. On one hand, he _definitely_ didn't want to go to jail. However, he didn't want someone running his life for an extended period of time either.

"This program you keep on yapping about…what is it exactly?"

The old man, his blue eyes aided by gold-rimmed glasses, smiled slightly. "You'll find out if you plea yourself out."

Alex decided that this "program" thing was probably the best chance he had of living a halfway normal life. He decided to accept the man's offer, even though he had no clue about what he was about to get himself into.

"Alright…I'll do it."

The old man smiled warmly, extending his hand towards Alex. "Very good. My name is Clyde O'Neil…Welcome to the Phoenix Foundation!" **(1)**

So that's how it came to be that I joined Clyde and his "project", the Phoenix Foundation. I would learn that it was a program designed to give a second chance to young people who have committed very serious crimes and to help them repay their debt to society without prison time. Little did I know what I would have to go through to become part of this "project" would be almost as bad as going to prison itself…

**(1)** The "Phoenix Foundation" is the name of the organization that helped solve crimes on the hit 80's show "MacGuyver"

Next chapter (if there is a next chapter.): Alex goes through his training to become apart of the Phoenix Foundation. When he has finished it, what will become of him? Find out next time!

I know, I know…not a damn YGO character in sight! I apologize…but my character's role is so critical to this series that the first couple of chapters of this part of the trilogy will focus mainly on him and his team. Fear not, however, Yugi and his crew will appear in bits and will have a significant part later on in the first book. Please review and give me your thought on this start of what I hope becomes an epic YGO Fic.

**BigLos…out**


	2. Hell on Angel Island, Part I

**A/N: **Hello again friends…glad you've put up with my crappy writing again! For some reason…the part that I typed in bold on Word came up in regular print on the site…so reading it can be a little confusing. I apologize and will correct it ASAP. Some thanks are in order:

**The Broken Bow: **Glad to see I have your interest. Thanks for you review, and rest assured I will continue to update as long as I have fingers to type with and a computer that halfway works.

**Snow Weaver: **Glad you like the story…my stories are pretty good, I think, but they are _far_ from being the best. There are so many great writers on this site that don't get the respect they deserve, and it's a shame. Thanks for your review.

**Shylyinthedark: **Thanks for both your review and your concern over my illness. I'm almost 100 percent well again! Anyway…keep up your good work with Shadowed Beginnings; it's turning out pretty well.

Just some quick words…Angry People and Heart of the Hoops should be updated by next Monday night, and I've decided to put my Teen Titans and Street Fighter fics on indefinite hiatus. All my good ideas are stuck in Yugioh Mode right now, I guess. Well...Enjoy Chapter Two!

"So as long as there are men there will be wars." **_Albert Einstein_**

Chapter Two: Hell on Angel Island, Part I

**As I told you in the last chapter, this Clyde O'Neil character gave me a chance to clear my record. To be honest with you, ifI had known what I would have gone through after I made that choice, jail would not have seemed like a bad idea. After my court hearings, I was put under his custody and taken to a plane waiting outside...**

The anxious boy boarded the airplane, his orange jumpsuit still on his body. As they took flight, Alex and Clyde sat side by side.

"Mr. O'Neil...what made you pick me?"

The old man turned slowly, shifting his enourmous body so that he could face Alex.

"I didn't choose you kid...fate chose you."

Alex looked over the man as if he was from another planet. Fate chose _him_?

**He wouldn't tell me where we were headed, but from the length of the flight I could tell that it was a LONG way from New York. Along the way, two other kids joined us. One of them was a black guy named Bo. He was my age, and stood about 6'5'' (which towered easily above my 5'8'' frame). He didn't say much on that flight...well come to think of it, he never said much at all. He was a very soft spoken guy. Unfortunately, there was someone else who spoke _way _too much! Her name was Catherine (she was a little younger than myself and Bo at 16), but she insisted on being called Kat. She was a brunette who stood about 5'2'', and had these green eyes that always seemed to have some sort of sparkle to them. She spoke too much, yes, but she was a very nice girl. I wondered how she could be capable of doing anything to go to jail in the first place. I found out about that later, but that's for another time...**

After a flight that seemed to last forever, Alex, Bo and Kat saw their destination. It was a sight to behold.

"WOW! That's our new home?" Kat yelled out excitedly.

"Whoa...such a beautiful island." Alex stared out of the plane in awe. In his mind, it wasn't beautiful. The word beautiful wouldn't do it justice. The island, while not necsessarily large, had an abundance of features. A lush rainforest, a beautiful waterfall, and beaches on all edges. He saw a small building near the center of the isle that he assumed was the place where they would be living.

"Welcome to Angel Island...home of the Phoenix Foundation. When we land, you will be personally met by the head instructor. You are to do whateverthe instructor says down to the smallest detail.Those who disobey will be sent back to their respective states and sent to prison. Understood?"

Each prisoner nodded their head.

After they landed, they were told to wait on the beach as Clyde stayed in the plane. He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call.

_"They're here...you know what to do."_

_"Of course...how hard do you want me to push them?"_

_"As hard as you want...I think these three have some potential."_

_"We'll see soon enough. Out." _

"Well...we were supposed to meet the head trainer here? Where the heck is he?" Kat peered around the beach, searching in vain for their new teacher.

"It could be a woman, you know." Alex said as he looked around as well.

"Whatever...I just want to find this asshole and get this whole thing over with." Alex looked over at her harshly, Kat stuck out her tounge in a mocking fashion.

"Asshole? You don't even know this person."

Alex and Kat looked over at their new partner in a bit of shock. Those were the first words he had spoken since he joined them on the plane.

"All of you...turn around!" The three former delinquents turned around to see their instructor in front of them.

"Listen carefully to me. I don't know what you've done to get here, and quite frankly I don't give a damn. You give me any trouble, any sass, and I'll break a limb. You try to attack me, I'll kill you. You don't do what I tell you to, I'll ship you back to the hellhole you came from. Do you understand?"

**Now, that friendly person welcoming us to the Phoneix Foundation was a lovely lady by the name of Rika Tenkyu. She was only about 5'5'', but she had enough strength and martial arts knowledge to put anyone out of commission. Her hair was long, black, and usually in a pony tail. Her eyes, achestnut brown, were usually cold and stern, thus hiding their significant beauty. **

"The Phoenix Foundation is about rebirth, transforming society's most corrupt individuals so that they can serve the world they live in. I'm not here to be your friend or your counselor, nor am I here to be your enemy. I'm here to teach you. You may not approve of my methods, but if you survive...you will someday reap the benefits of whatI teach you here. Now...follow me. We have a long day ahead."

**Next Time: The training begins...and one of our three jailbirds will come to the brink of death. What will happen then? **

**Well...that's all for now...I'd appreciate your reviews on this fic very much. And dont worry, the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh are coming, look at the title for goodness' sake! **

BigLos...out


	3. Hell On Angel Island, Part II

**A/N: **What's up people? My update for Angry People has been pushed back a couple of days…I apologize. I blame the computers of the world! Anyway…Thank-you's are in order:

**The Broken Bow: **Hey…thanks for your reviews of my fics, I appreciate them. I'm especially happy that you like my OC's…I've canned some previous works of mine because the OC's were terrible, so any input on them is greatly accepted.

**Shyly in the Dark: **It's good to have people around you that care….thanks. And you might like this…I'll be updating ANGRY PEOPLE as soon as I'm finished.

**Snow Weaver: **Hey…this is going to be a pretty good chapter. I'm impressed you picked up on the Sonic reference...I wonder if you can spot some others ifI throw them out at ya! Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for your review.

Well...here is chapter three...Enjoy!

**Chapter Three: Hell on Angel Island, Part II**

**When I left you last chapter, Rika introduced herself to us in a rather blunt manner. The long day she was talking about was a three hour hike to our new home located in the central part of the island. It was there that she took us to our rooms, and told us to make ourselves at home. **

"This place looks a little dull..." Kat looked around at her rather plain room. No posters, no colorful furniture. Just a wooden chair, wooden desk, and a bed that appeared as if it came straight from an Army barrack.

"We should be thankful to have anything to call our own at this point, I'll take it hands down." Alex said as he made up his bed. "What do you think of it Bo?"

The huge boy looked over at Alex with a rather blank expression and shrugged his shoulders. "Beats prison."

Alex smiled.

**I still remember that first night. Kat nearly talked me and Bo to our graves, and we got to know each other a little bit for the first time. Soon the subject of our preveious lives came up...**

"So...um Bo...What did you do to get sent here?" Alex shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He didn't want to offend anyone, but he wanted to see what the others had done to be sent here. His curiousity was getting the better of him.

Bo looked him straight in eye. "I was a thief..."

Alexcould tell by the tone of his voice that he probably wanted to leave it at that, so he backed off. "I see...well, I did a little bit of everything I guess...assault, robbery, drugs. Things like that. What about you, Kat?"

Kat shot a rather angry glance his way. "What about me, huh?"

"Geesh! I just asked you a question, Kat. I'm not interrogating you!"

Kat got up from her chair angrily. "What I've done is none of your damn buisness. Goodnight." She stormed away from the boys, leaving Alex with a look of shock on his face.

Suddenly, Bo stood up, stretching his long body. Then, he spoke.

"Alex...some people prefer to keep the past in the past. Good night."

_Oh well...so much for team bonding! _

**That night, I realized two things: Kat is VERY sensitive about her past, and when Bo puts more than two words together, he usually has something very meaningful to say. Despite this tense situation, yours truly was able to get a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, I was in for a rather rude awakening. **

Alex woke up to the sound of someone clanging something metal against his wall. In a semi-conscious state, he saw out of his window that it was still dark outside.

"What the hell are you doing? We're gonna train in the dark or something?" Alex rose out his slumber, mumbling a stream of profanities.

"No, maggot...We're gonna train until it gets dark. NOW GET YOUR CARCASS OUT HERE!"

**She woke up the rest of the gang like this as well, until we were all outside, dressed in a white-T-shirt and black shorts. Rika was wearinga red top with black shorts. After barking out some insults to us, she put us through about three hours of physical training. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, some Karate basics, and about 5 miles of running, ALL before breakfast. It was horrible...**

Kat's head was hovering over a trash barrel as she spewed out the contents of her stomach into it. Alex and Bo watched over her, pity filling their faces. They moved their glances elsewhere as their trainer came into the room.

"Don't give it all away, Catherine...you need to save some strength for this afternoon."

ToAlex andBo, it seemed more likeRika was taunting Kat than encouraging her.

"Yes...Miss Rika."

**After ourbreakfast, we were sent to this classroom where we were taught several subjects:history, chemistry, physics, economics, foreign languages, even dance classes. I liked this part of our day. Even though the subject matter was sometimes boring and always difficult,it gave us a break from Rika's tyrranical grip.But, as you probably already know, allgood things must come to anend. At about three in the afternoon, we went back to Rika, where she put us through more hellatious training. This part of the day also included firearms training, weapon practice, and an obstacle course aptly named "The Tormentor". It was about a mile long, and included various booby traps, including barb wire, small-grade explosives, and arrow guns. This was usually saved for last as a test for our already worn bodies. Several years afterwards, I was told that a few recruits actually died in attemtps to complete the course. After a long day,Bo and Iwere seperated from Kat and sent to shower up. **

Alex flopped himself groggily into his shower stall, turning on the hot water as fast as he could. His body was so sore, he could barely raise his hands to clean himself.

_This is no better than prison! My body can't take any more days like this...I wonder how Bo and Katare feeling..._

* * *

Bo was in his shower stall, washing himself vigorously.

_No problem. I grew up in the Texas heat, my body knows how to deal with pain. I'll keep going until I'm free of this place...I have to._

* * *

Kat sat in her stall, too tired to move. She sat there, naked, crying hysterically.

_I can't stay here...I can't do this! I wanna go home! I know what will be waiting when I get there, but I'll take THAT over this hell I'm going through now._

**Those first few nights of our training, we hardly spoke to one another. We all had our ways of passing the time, I guess. Bo usually watched some tape-delayed sports games on T.V., most of them of his beloved Houston Rockets. Kat drew most of the time, and I must say that she is a great artist. She drew very high-quality sketches of Bo and I, and some of our friends. As for me, I read. Books, magazines, comics, mangas, anything. Well...anything except those trashy romance novels. They're pretty lame. **

Two Weeks Later...

Kat, Bo, and Alex raced through the obstacle course, Rika shouting instructions or insults as they raced through its traps.

"Catherine...pick up the pace. Just because you're a woman doesn't meanI'll tolerate you being slow!" Rika spat out at the slowest of the three, her voice loud and full of venom.

Kat was feeling dizzy as she continued on the course. About halfway through, she stopped entirely.

"Kat...what the heck are you doing?" Alex cried in frustration. "Hurry up!"

Before anyone could warn them...an arrow sped towards Kat's body.

"Kat...NOOOOOOO!" Alex moved as quickly as the arrow hit his target.

He also saw that Rika was holding a bow in her hand...

**Does Kat survive this terrible ordeal? Find out next time.**

Sorry! Cliffhangers are a bad habit of mine.

BigLos...out


	4. Wheels In Motion

**A/N: **Hello, loyal readers! I should be trying to update Angry People, but my mind is in a rut as far as that is concerned. Even my brainchild "Heart of the Hoops" is giving me some writer's block right now. This is only story I can come up with enough to update it. I'll be experimenting with a different order of things in this chapters…thank you's will come after the chapter itself. I don't know why, just thought I would point that out.

Chapter Four: Wheels in Motion 

"Kat….NOOOOOOOO!"

I told you last chapter about the suffering that the three of us went through as we went through our training. That was nothing compared to what we would go through later, but it was hell to us at the time. Anyway…I couldn't save Kat from the arrow, it hit her in the back and I thought she was dead for sure. I saw who fired that shot, and I lashed out the only way I knew how.,.

Alex saw that Rika had shot Kat with an arrow, and was in a state of confusion as to why she shot the girl.

"Are you INSANE? Why did you shoot her? You could have killed her!"

Bo had turned around and was doing his best to see if Kat was all right.

"She has to learn…there's no room here for the weak, slow, or timid. One weakling can screw up an entire team's work, and in your line of work, you CAN'T afford a screw-up."

Alex turned to Bo, who nodded his head quickly, signifying that Kat was still alive.

"I should have shot her in the head…I don't think she has it in her to finish this training anyway." Alex couldn't believe the harshness in her voice. She had nearly taken the life of a fellow human being, and she acted as if she had wounded a wild dog.

Suddenly Alex lunged for his teacher's throat, swinging his fists in blind fury. One of his blows connected in the jaw, decking Rika.

"You cold-hearted bitch! My father…. he beat me and my mother black and blue for twelve years until he died…MY OLD MAN'S A SAINT COMPARED TO YOU!"

_He actually knocked me over! No student has EVER toppled me before! _

Rika jumped up and glided behind her student, and applied a painful hold on his arm.

"You little snot-nosed punk, have you ever been in combat?" She applied more pressure on his arm, causing him to yelp in pain.

"I'm thirty-four years old, and I've been in too many combat situations to remember! Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Bosnia, Chechnya, the Congo. I've been watching people like you three die since I was seventeen! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT IS?" Alex yelled in agony as Rika's grip began to get even tighter.

"You know, there are two people who die in my line of work: the one's like your weakling friend Catherine, and the ones like you who try to save them. It's people like you and her that get people killed in combat…remember that." With that, she broke her grip.

Alex, standing on his own, holding what appeared to be a broken arm, spoke in a surprisingly quiet fashion.

"Rika…if I had to make a choice…if I had to chose to let someone die or die with them, I would gladly die with them."

Rika, whose anger had subsided seemingly, replied with a slightly subdued tone. "Then you're a fool…a brave one, but a fool."

That day, that horrible day, I will never forget as long as I live. Kat survived, mostly due to the placement of Rika's arrow. She still had all of her vital organs intact, and no spinal injuries to speak of. And this was the easy part! Just kidding…most of the difficult times were behind us after this terrible day, but the seeds of a bigger threat were being planted at this time…

**Kaiba Mansion**

Seto Kaiba looked over the offer sheet to buy some of Kaiba Corporation's stock. It was a generous offer, but Kaiba wasn't interested. The company was his and Mokuba's to run, and Kaiba absolutely refused to share with anyone else.

"This offer is great and all, but I really have no interest in selling Kaiba Co. at the moment, Mr..."

"Bautista…. Ivan Bautista." A man with a gray, pinstriped suit with jet-black hair and a massive frame extended his hand for Seto to shake. When Kaiba didn't reciprocate, he continued to speak.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to part with Kaiba Co. stock, it's some of the highest rising stock in the Asian market. Oh, well."

At this, Kaiba grunted.

Ivan pulled a CD out of his coat pocket and put it on Seto Kaiba's desk. "My daughter asked me to deliver this to you…her sixteenth birthday is coming up soon and for a party idea she's decided to have a Duel Monsters tournament. I don't get her sometimes…well, she hopes for you to respond soon. I'd better take my leave; it's a long flight back to Starlight City. Good day."

_Greedy bastard…and yet another invite to some lame tournament! What does some girl know about throwing a Duel Monsters tournament anyway? I held the GREATEST tournament of all time in Battle City…no one can compare! _

Seto's curiosity got the better of him, and he popped in the DVD. What he saw was a girl of fifteen, with curly blonde hair and emerald-green eyes, smiling at him.

_Hello, if you're watching this than my daddy delivered this as I hoped! I'm Karin Bautista, his one and only child. After watching your Battle City tournament, I was inspired to have one of my own. It's the only way I could think of to celebrate my birthday in style! Money probably doesn't mean much to you, but the prize to the winner is five million dollars. I think you and I both know what you want if you're going to enter this tournament, so I sent HIM an invite as well. The tournament starts three months from now at my dad's headquarters in Starlight City…I do hope you decide to attend. _

With a wink and a flashy smile, the DVD ended.

"So…are you going Seto?"

The elder Kaiba turned to see his younger brother standing there in his PJs.

"I'll be thinking about it…"

Seto Kaiba wasn't the only one, dozens of duelists received personalized invites like this one. Another recipient of this invitation resided in Toronto, Canada… 

_Hello, if you're watching this right now, UPS did their job! Now…I know it's been hard for you lately. Passed over for Duelist Kingdom…Snubbed from Battle City. I know you don't deserve that sort of treatment. I mean, you're freakin' UNDEFEATED! You've never lost a duel, and you've won the Pan-American Championship THREE STRAIGHT TIMES! Enough is enough…I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself. You want Seto Kaiba…you got him! Joey Wheeler? Go for it! And if you're really ambitious, The King of Games himself, Yugi Mutou! They'll all be there…in three months in Starlight City. Be there. And if money is what motivates you, the top prize is five million dollars! See you there! _

A young man in his early twenties turned off his television, his brown eyes glaring at the blank screen. Running a hand through his midnight blue hair, he laughed lightly to himself.

"Yugi Mutou…you and that punk Kaiba have hogged the spotlight for way too long. When this tournament is done, my name, Quincy Cole, will finally be mentioned as the greatest Duelist of this age…a title I DESERVE!"

Next Time: Kat recuperates from her injuries, and just in time for the "final exam"! More invites are handed out for the tournament in Starlight City…but is there more to this tournament than meets the eye?

**Snow Weaver: **Yeah…I've tried to mix a little of Rouge and Knuckles in my OCs. One of them has a little hedgehog in them too, I bet you know whom! Sonic X isn't a bad show; my brothers are big fans of it. Thanks for your review.

**The Broken Bow: **I'll be honest, there's no way in hell I would finish that either! Talk about hell. Alex as Joey? It's not too far out of reasoning I guess; they have some similarities, besides the blonde hair. On a more personal note, do you mind telling me what happened to your legs? You mentioned crutches in the review, and I was a little worried. In any event, thanks.

That pesky ANGRY PEOPLE update is coming, so be on the lookout!

BigLos…out


	5. Invites, Exams and Beer?

**A/N: **Greetings friends, a rare late-night update for me. You know the kind that you do when you're trying to go to sleep, you want to go to sleep, but you just stay up and occupy yourself until you sleep. Never mind that….here are some thank yous:

**LeighC and Shylyinthedark: **Thanks to both of you for reading my fics, I'm glad you like them. And an apology to Shy…the Angry People update is taking longer than I expected. I should have it updated by the end of the week…hopefully.

**Snow Weaver: **I owe you an apology as well, my friend. Don't worry, as soon as I get all my updates finished, I'll see if I can help you out with Unnoticed Help…so don't can it just yet ok? And thanks for your review.

**The Broken Bow: **I read your review, and I don't really know what to say, but I'm going to say something anyway. (Ok, that doesn't make any sense) Two things, thanks so much for your rave review, and thanks again for sharing your story with me. I was touched. And another thing…should I meet you up there in the wild blue yonder, I'll gladly do some jumping jacks with you!

Well…that's all for the mailbag section. Now, I have a question for all four of my great reviewers...do you think some people online take YGO fan fiction TOO seriously? Really? All of these debates about keeping people in character are a little annoying to me. I got an e-mail…I think it was for Heart of the Hoops, this girl lectured me on the ways that a Seto/Serenity couple would NEVER work in either the mangas or the anime. I respectfully answered her email, but I left out one very glaring point…IT'S A FREAKIN FANFIC! Isn't it the author's prerogative to sculpt the characters however he or she chooses? I'm not usually one to rant like this, but that's just something that I had on the backburner for a while, and I want to see how you good people felt about it. ( I should say good ladies, if I'm not mistaken all of my reviewers for this fic are female) Well, that's that. On with the fanfic, Full Speed Ahead!

**Chapter 5: Invites, Exams and…Beer?**

**My goodness…I still wonder how Kat survived that deal with the arrow, even to this day. I myself suffered a broken arm out of the whole damn thing, but I thought it was worth it to stand up for the girl. She just seemed so out of place in a military-style camp like this, I kinda felt sorry for her I guess. **

Alex walked into the infirmary, looking for his friends. After some of the things they had gone through together, he felt it was a safe bet to consider them friends.

"Kat…good to see you! How are you feeling?" Alex sat down in a chair next to Kat's hospital bed.

"I'm fine; Bo's been here to keep me company. Haven't you?" The tall, muscular boy nodded his head and got up from his seat. "Yeah…Look, I've got some training to do. I'll leave you two alone for a bit."

With that, he sauntered off into the main building, presumably into the weight room.

"Alex…Bo told me what you said to Rika. Did you mean it?" Kat's life seemed to hinge upon his answer; she sat herself up as she anxiously awaited his answer.

"About what?"

"About…you know…that you would die to save one of us if we were in trouble?"

Alex looked out of the window into the jungle for a moment, as if he was looking for the answer out there.

"Yeah…I meant it."

Alex didn't turn to face her, but as far as Kat was concerned he didn't have to. She had gotten the response she wanted.

**I already know what you're going to ask, and the answer is NO. Kat and I don't become a couple. Sorry. As you'll read however, things have a funny way of working out, but that's for another time. About a week after the incident with Rika, Kat was ready to leave the infirmary, so we now prepared for our "final exam". As this time passed, more of those personalized invites were being handed out…**

**  
**

Mai Valentine sat in her apartment bedroom, watching a DVD that had arrived in the mail for her. The events of Battle City had taken their toll on her, and Mai had been laying low for quite a while.

_Now I don't know what exactly happened to you at the Battle City tournament, but I wish you nothing but the best. As I said earlier, the prize is five million dollars. I really, really hope you decide to attend. This tournament won't quite be right if the world's best female duelist isn't present. Good day…_

Mai stopped the DVD with her remote, and inhaled a deep breath.

**_It's been a while since I've had some fun…I guess this tournament is the closest thing to a vacation that I could ask for. All expenses paid? Who does this girl think she is, Paris Hilton? Oh well…maybe I'll see Yugi there. And if I'm really lucky…maybe I'll run into Joseph…_**

Mai smiled to herself as she thought of all the ways that she could tease Joey, maybe even goad him into a date. And there was also the rematch factor. She had always wanted to duel him straight-up after Duelist Kingdom, but hadn't gotten the chance yet.

**As Kat, Bo and I trained for our "final exam"; more people got invited to this whole tournament thing. Including this guy….**

_Tuscaloosa, Alabama_

A young man around the age of 18 sat in his family's living room, watching the DVD that had arrived at his home that morning. He was wearing some khaki pants, and a red shirt that had "Roll Tide!" on the front of it.

**_I don't know why I'm watching this thing again, hell, maybe I'm just bored. I saw it earlier, then I thought about it, drank a beer, ate some eggs, some grits, a sausage, an enchilada, then I drank two more beers. Then I threw all up like some dog. I don't know, maybe I should stop drinking beer so damn early in the day. Oh well…I guess I could go to this Tournament. It's probably gonna draw a lot of big names, I reckon. Five million dollars ain't anything to sneeze at either. I win that money I could get me and my daddy out of this crappy little town. _**

_So, Gabe…I'm hoping you decide to attend. A former U.S. champion like you has earned this invite. War Eagle! _**(1)** _Just kidding. I hope you attend. See ya!_

_Domino City, Japan_

"Hey Yug, why are we all here again?"

Joey wasn't the only one looking for answers, so was the entire "Dweeb Patrol", as a certain CEO once dubbed them. Joey, Tristan, Tea, Duke, and even Ryou had all been summoned by phone to meet at the Game Shop by a certain duelist.

"I got this DVD in the mail, from Starlight City in America." Yugi said. He peered at the address of the sender. "It's from a Scrap Brain Mechanics, Inc."

"You're talking about the weapons company? What on Earth would they want with us?" Tea asked, a bit perplexed by the whole thing.

"It does seem a bit odd, a weapons company sending mail to a Duelist." Ryou put in quietly.

"I'm out if it has anything to do with testing weapons!" Tristan bellowed as he stretched out on the couch in Yugi's living room.

"Maybe we should put it in and see what all the hoopla is about." Duke chimed in.

Everyone else agreed, and Yugi popped in the DVD. What came on the screen was a young girl, around his age, speaking.

_Ahh…Yugi Mutou…King of Games…Master of the Egyptian Gods…greatest duelist in the world. Hello, my name is Karin Bautista, daughter of Ivan Bautista, owner and CEO of Scrap Brain Mechanics, Inc. I'll be celebrating my sixteenth birthday pretty soon, and I need a way to celebrate in style. So…I decided to have Duel Monsters tournament! And guess what, you, little Yugi, are invited to compete. All of your friends as well! And all of your expenses are on me! No travel fees, no hotel fees, everything is on me. The prize? Five million dollars! Cash…No checks here! I do hope you decide to attend…this tournament will really suck if you, your friends and Seto Kaiba don't show. It's in three months…see you there! _

Yugi and his friends stared at the television, each with something in particular on his or her mind.

**_Yugi: This is going to be pretty big…But what if Kaiba tries to take the God Cards again? _**

_**Tristan: It pays to know cool people! All expenses paid? This is the life…**_

_**Tea: Who does her hair? I'd die for hair that curly and long!**_

_**Duke: Five million dollars? Dungeon Dice Monsters could use that money as a launching pad…**_

_**Joey: Yeah! Not only do I get a chance to Duel for five million big ones, but I get a chance ta see Serenity. I wanna pack my bags already! **_

_**Ryou: She's…kind of…cute.**_

Yugi decided to speak up. "So…are we..." They didn't even let him finish.

"YES!"

_Cairo, Egypt_

Marik and Ishizu sat in their living room, looking over a package that had arrived for the both of them in the mail.

"It looks like some DVD, sister. Want me to pop it in?"

Ishizu nodded, and gave the package to him. It had been a few months since the end of Battle City, and Malik was still having trouble forgiving himself for what had happened at the tournament.

_Poor boy…he walks around blaming himself for what happened. He's got to put this behind him, as painful as it may be, and try to move on with his life. _

The DVD came on, and Brother and Sister watched it intently.

_I've decided to invite the both of you, despite the rumors that I've heard that have Marik in retirement from Duel Monsters. I think you both are great players and would love for you to compete here in Starlight City. Good day…_

"So, are you going Ishizu?" Lavender eyes met sapphire.

"…Yes. It's been so long since I've had a chance to not defend against a crisis of some kind. What about you, Marik."

The Egyptian lowered his head. "I don't know, if I go…The Pharaoh will probably be there. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

"The Pharaoh and his friends have probably already forgiven you, Marik. It may be awkward, but they will get to know the REAL you. The you I knew all along, even at the darkest hour, was still in your heart."

**Well, I've been babbling about this "final exam" for a while now, I think it's about time to start telling you about our ordeal…**

Bo, Alex, and Kat were all sitting outside, in their usual gear, waiting for Rika to show up. When she did, she tossed a bag at each one's foot.

"Listen to me carefully. Survival training is the final part of your training to become a member of the Phoenix Foundation. Tomorrow morning, you will leave the compound and head into the jungle, and you will look for the giant waterfall that you saw when you first landed. There is a hidden cave there. Once you've found it, you will be tested. I won't tell you how, being as that would spoil all the fun you will have. All you have to complete this mission are the tools I have given you. If you should all survive…you will all become members of the Phoenix Foundation. Good Luck.

**With that, she left us. The next morning, we headed into the dense jungle, our fate to be determined.**

**(1) That was just a joke about Auburn University and the University of Alabama, who hate each other. Auburn's Battle Cry is War Eagle (even though thier nickname is the tigers) and Alabama's is Roll Tide (they are called the Crimson Tide). **

Well that's it, that's all people. Sleep is FINALLY starting to take hold, and I embrace it openly. See you next time.

BigLos…out.


	6. Graduation, Part I

**A/N: **Greetings all, glad you've taken a moment to read this work-in-progress. Some thanks are in order, here we go:

**Shy: **Thanks for your input about the whole OOC thing, I appreciate it. And thanks for reviewing, you are one of the few to read all three of my YGO fics here.

**The Broken Bow: **Ha! Cool story about your teacher…one of my old P.E. teachers was a HUGE Oklahoma fan. Anyways, glad you like the fic, enjoy the next chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Six: Graduation, Part One**

**As I was telling you last chapter, Bo, Kat and myself were preparing to undergo this final part of our training. Our mission, or "exam" you could say, was to find the waterfall on the island and find a hidden cave there. Our task, as Rika told us, would be waiting as we got there. There was something that Rika forgot to mention...we didn't get any food! I mean, damn, how are we supposed to survive a three day trek through a jungle without any food? Oh, well...I guess that's why she called it SURVIVAL training...**

"I'm hungry!"

Kat folded her arms across her average-sized chest, and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Will you shut the heck up, Kat? It's not an easy climb up this coconut tree you know!" Alex barked out as he made his way up the tree in search of its fruit.

"Hurry up, we're close to the waterfall, we should get there before nightfall."

Bo peered over the jungle, looking for any sign of danger. Earlier in the day, they had nearly fallen into a snake pit, chased by a tiger, and survived a quicksand scare.

"I got it...uh-oh!" Alex had found the coconuts in the tree, but his grip had failed him and he came crashing to the jungle floor with an intense cry of pain.

"I...think it's my shoulder...I think I dislocated it."

Alex slumped himself up against the tree, and Bo came over to see to his shoulder.

"I've had one of these before...I'll pop it back into place. This is going to hurt a bit...One...Two...Three!"

POP!

Alex cursed under his breath as he felt intense pain as his shoulder was put back into its proper place.

"Thanks, Bo."

"No prob, blondie. Now get up so that we can move. It'll be dark soon."

**As we finally made our way to the waterfall, we took a quick sip of the cool water there to refresh ourselves. That water was better than anything you'd ever find in some store, especially since we had been hiking nonstop for nearly three days. When we finally made it to the cave we were supposed to find, there was something that appeared to be some sort of letter. Kat opened it and read its contents to us. **

_If you are reading this, Congratulations! You are one final step away from finishing your training. Only one obstacle remains. Inside this cave there is a very powerful adversary waiting to challenge you. Defeat it, and your training is complete. Lose...well, just don't lose. Good luck, and Godspeed. _

_Your Instructor, _

_Rika. _

"Well...looks like ole Rika has a heart after all." Alex smiled as Kat had read the letter they had found.

"I wouldn't count on it. She shot me in the back with an ARROW! Remember that?"

"Yeah...now if you two are done remembering old times, maybe we can get this over with?" Bo was walking toward the cave entrance, hunting knife in hand.

Alex and Kat followed him into the cave, one with a bow, the other with a torch.

**As we made our way through the cave, nothing, and I mean nothing would prepare us for the great challenge we were about to meet. **

**_Intruders detected..._**

**_Intruders deemed hazardous, termination authorized..._**

**_Destruction Mode Engaged... _**

**_All weapons set to lethal level..._**

As the three teens made their way through the cave, one of them started to hear the noises and beeps of machinery.

"Alex...do you hear that?"

Kat's voice was barely a whisper as she held up her bow, ready and waiting for whatever would come their way.

"Shh...do you hear that?"

They could hear something moving their way. They didn't know but they assumed two things: it was huge, and DEFINITELY not human.

"What the hell is that thing?" Bo stared up at a incredible piece of machinery. It appeared to be nearly 8 feet tall, and about ten feet wide, it had huge machine guns on either side, and something that looked like a cannon for a head.

**_Subjects have been deemed hazardous...noncompliant intruders must be eradicated!_**

"Umm...I think _we're _the noncompliant intruders." Kat held her bow shakily in her hands, preparing to fire.

"You're a regular Sherlock Holmes, Kat." Alex said as the machine began to spit out gunfire in their direction.

"GET DOWN!" Bo commanded from across the cave, and all three teammates dropped to the ground.

"How are we going to stop that thing?" Kat was covering her head with her hands as gunfire sprayed the area.

"I don't know..." Alex dug through his bag, looking for something that could take down this killing machine.

"Hmmm...this should work..."

**_Meanwhile,_**

**_In Domino City_**

****

****

Yugi lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Yami...something doesn't feel right."

His dark appeared to him, and the two spoke. "What's wrong Yugi?"

"I don't know...it's something about this tournament that just doesn't seem right. I can't put my finger on it."

"Are you worried about facing Seto Kaiba again?"

Yugi shook his head slightly. "It's not him..."

****

**_How will our three heroes fare against the giant killing machine they are up against? And does little Yugi have reason to be concered about the upcomming tournament in StarLight City? Find out next time! _**

****

**Well...that's all for this chapter. Gotta run and update another fic! See ya!**

**BigLos...out**

****


	7. Graduation, Part II

**A/N: **Welcome back loyal readers! Lots to get done here, so I'll immediately go to the mailbox:

**Shy and LeighC: **Sorry… I had to do it! Cliffhangers are too dang fun! Anyway, thanks for reading this humble little work.

**The Broken Bow: **A+…I'll take those all day! Thanks. :hands her a bottle of Bayer: Here's something for that headache!

**

* * *

**

**Dragon's Lair**

_Here's a few quick thoughts about what's going on in my world… _

**_Am I the only one tired of hearing Barry Bonds whine and moan to the media? Whaa! Whaa! The media did this, the media did that! SHUT UP ALREADY!_**

_**Ahh…Shonen Jump. If you haven't read it yet, get a copy! It's worth it, I promise you. If you're an anime fan, it's a must. I just got my first copy the other week, and I couldn't put it down. No…I'm not on their payroll, just tryin' to spread the word. **_

_**I've finally figured out how to learn more about the Yu-gi-oh trading card game…TEACH SOMEONE! Yup, I've taken my twin little brothers under my wing (I would try to teach my little sister, but she's more of a prissy, anti-anime sort of girl) and I showed them the ropes. One of them is a little loudmouth, so I got him the Joey starter deck, and the other is a little arrogant himself, so he gets the Kaiba deck. I didn't know there were so many damn rules…**_

* * *

That's it for the Dragon's Lair, now on with the fic! 

**Chapter Seven: Graduation, Part II**

Alex dug through his bag, and found a hand grenade. "Listen, you guys! I'm gonna throw this grenade at that robot. When I let go...we've got about 10 seconds to get away!"

With that, Alex tugged the pin from the grenade with his teeth, and threw it at the behemoth machine. Kat and Bo scrambled for the exit on their hands and knees, Alex moving as well as he could behind them.

**BOOOOM!**

"Did that get it?" Bo asked breathless.

"I think so...I don't hear any more gunfire." Kat said as she dusted herself off. She looked around and noticed that Alex wasn't with them."Where's Alex?"

**I'll save you the trouble of guessing where I was...**

Alex struggled to get to his feet, somehow surviving the blast of the grenade.

_That's it for that big machine thingy...now what?_

Alex heard something comming from the end of the hall...something that resembled a snake's hissing. He suddenly started to feel sleepy.

"That's...sleeping...gas..."

Alex felt his body grow limp as he blacked out.

**_Meanwhile..._**

**_Domino City_**

Yugi sat under the shade of a tree as he watched his friend play a game of touch football. Ryou, Tristan, and Tea were on one team, Joey, Mai, and Duke on the other.

"Let's run Trojan Horse!" Joey suggested in the huddle.

"Trojan Horse? That play sucks!" Duke spat out, unwilling to agree.

"Hey, Dice Boy...It didn't work last time because YOU didn't throw me the ball!"

"Maybe that's because you can't catch, puppy!"

"What did you say?...I'll take that football and shove it-"

"Will you two stop acting like babies?" Mai interjected, tired of their senseless arguement. "I'll throw it to whoever is open. OK?"

The two boys nodded in agreement, and they broke their huddle.

"DOWN...SET...HUT!" Mai recived the ball, and dropped back to pass.

Joey had shook off Ryou, and was wide open. When Mai saw this, she threw the ball as hard as she could towards the designated endzone.What she wasn't counting on was a certain CEOsitting nearby theirfield of play.

The football missed it's target and landed directly on the top of Seto Kaiba's head, drawing a stream of curse words from the brunette.

Tea was already on the ground, laughing hysterically, Ryou muffled a giggle or two of his own, and Tristan was laughing so hard he was crying.

All little Yugi did was look on, and hope that life could stay this simple, this carefree, and this peaceful.

**Meanwhile...**

**Starlight City...**

"How close are we done to preparing everything, Lugar?"

A young blonde sat down at her computer desk, communicating with the man she designated as the director of her tournament.

"Everything is well, Miss Bautista. The arena has already been finished, as you are aware, and arrangements have been made for your guests."

"Excellent...and my deck?"

"Your deck is being fine-tuned as we speak, and it will contain the cards that you specifically asked us to obtain. It will be virtually unbeatable!"

Karin smiled. "Good...we've only about a month to finish up everything, so time shoudn't be wasted. What about our _other _plan?"

"Don't worry, Madam. Everything is being taken care of by me personally. Your plan shall not fail."

"If you want to keep your job, make sure it doesn't."

With that, the communication ended.

**_Meanwhile..._**

**_On Angel Island..._**

Alex slowly rose up from his slumber, realizing that he was no longer in a cave. He was in a bed, and was surrounded by vibrant paintings and posters...nothing like his room in the compound.

"You're awake. That's good." Alex looked over at his door to see his instructor, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans.

"Alex...it's time."

**Time...for what? And what exactly is Karin planning? Find out next time. **

**Sorry for the short chap...I've been updating a lot of things (ANGRY PEOPLE HAS BEEN UPDATED! GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN!) and unfortunately I've been pressed for time, making the chapters a little shorter than what I wanted. Even ifI have to wait a week or so before posting again, I promise I'll try to make the chapters longer. Thanks for spending part of your day (or night) with me. See Ya!**

**BDB...out**

****


	8. A New Kind of Training

**A/N: **Greetings, loyal readers! Just a few words to the faithful, then I'll get to the action:

**The Broken Bow: **Glad to hear that you're feeling better, and thanks so much for reading.

**Shyly in the Dark (and LeighC): **Yeah…only if life were as easy as a game of touch football. But then again, what would be the point? Thanks for reading and for the praise!

**Snow Weaver: **No need to apologize, life can get in the way of everything. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a chance to update some of your work soon.

Well, here's the chapter, enjoy!

**_Chapter Eight: A New Kind of Training _**

Alex rose out of the bed, not understanding what his trainer meant. "What are you talking about? Time for what?"

"Time for you to recieve your graduation present." Rika pulled a box out of her pocket and tossed it to the blonde.

"Open it."

Alex looked at her hesitantly, but did as he was told. Inside the box was a small golden pin. It appeared to be a bird of somekind, and with the flaming wings Alex guessed that it was a phoenix. "What's this?"

"Think of it as a badge if you will. All Phoenix Foundation members of your status are to wear one."

"My status?"

The raven-haired instructor nodded her head. "You, Bo, and Catherine have been chosen to be undercover operatives for us. It's a "fast-track to freedom" you could say. Under my supervision of course, you will be allowed to leave the compound on occasion."

Alex appeared somber on the outside, but his heart was jumping for joy on the inside.

"Before you put that badge on, know this. You step out of line, you disgrace this organization in any shape or form...I'll kill you myself."

Alex gulped, slightly intimidated by her glare. _Talk about a buzz killer! _

"Get dressed, you and your buddies have a briefing in twenty minutes. Tardiness will not be accepted." With that, Rika closed the door.

_About twenty minutes later..._

Alex walked into the room that he was told to come to by his trainer and found his friends waiting for him.

"About time..." Bo put in with a little humor in his voice. He was wearing a long sleeve shirt along with some khaki pants, and a black cowboy hat.

"I thought good guys wore white hats."

"They do...but who said I was a good guy?" Bo smiled slightly and took off his hat.

"Kat...that dress is a little short."

Alex look over his friend as she sat downin a tight-fitting midnight blue dress, which showed off her long, silky legs.

"You sound like my Dad or something...do you know why we're here anyway?"

"No clue...actually I thought one of you guys could tell me?"

"You're here to be briefed."

The gang turned to see the man that had recruited them all, and essentialy saved their lives.

"Mr. O'Neil?"

"Yes...this information does not leave this room. On January 1st, 2005, the U.S. Military informed me that they had intelligence linking this man...Ivan Bautista...with a network of radical militant groups across the United States and other countries."

The gang looked at the picture that was show to them by their boss, and listened on.

"His daughter, Karin, is hosting a Duel Monsters tournament in Starlight City in less than two months. Your mission is simple, investigate the actions of Mr. Bautista and his daughter, and protect the company's guests."

Alex raised his hand. "Um...sir? How are we supposed to get into this tournament? Things like this will probably be invite only, right?"

"You will be at the competition...competing yourselves. And don't worry about invites, there willbe a qualifying tournament for those who didn't recieve an invitation."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Kat screamed out indignantly. "I've never played a game of Duel Monsters in my life? How are we supposed to play in a REAL tournament against REAL duelists?"

"That's why I'm here, miss." The gang turned to see a tall figure standing before him, his long lavender-blonde hair hung down past his shoulders and covering half of his face in an odd manner.

"You...you're Maxamillian Pegasus. The man who created the game." Bo observed.

"Holy cow! Then this guy must be the John Madden of Duel Monsters!" **(1) **Alex yelped, a little excited.

"I'm not sure who John Madden is, but thank you. Now! Let's see what kind of decks you three will need."

Pegasus began to walk around the room, chin in hand, sizing up each of the three.

"You...you like to have fun, very adventurous, innocent on the outside but _very _naughty on the inside. I think a Toon-Based deck would be best for you."

Pegasus handed Kat a deck that he himself had constructed.

"Um...thank you, I guess." Kat reluctantly took the package, and opened it up to study the contents.

"You...very buisnesslike, very calm, a strong sense of right and wrong...a Warrior-Base deck is probably your best fit!"

Bo took the deck, a little worried about the mental stability of his benefactor. "How exactly do you know all of this about us anyway?"

Pegasus smiled. "A magician doesn't reveal his secrets, now does he? Ahhh! Now you...let's see...a strong will, yet slightly troubled. The ability to be either the purest of saints or the darkest of demons...I've cooked up something very special for you, Allie-Boy!"

Alex, a little confused by what Pegasus meant by his statements, looked on wide-eyed as he dropped a deck into his hand.

"It's a deck centered around balance...light and dark, truth and fallacy, hope and despair. Put it to good use..."

Pegasus leaned in and whispered in the blonde's ear. "There is a very special, very rare card in that deck...take good care of it."

**OK...this Pegasus guy creeps me the hell out! First he comes in and out of nowhere starts stating off random facts about us all like he's some kind of psychic or something. AND I HATE TOON WORLD! THAT CARD SHOULD BE BANNED. THAT'S WHAT HE USES OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!I WISH I COULD BURN IT! Anyway, Pegasus taught us how to duel over the next two months, preparing us for the tournament. Before we left however, He had one more surprise for us.**

"Mr. Pegasus...what is it that you wanted to show us?" Alex asked, very curious about the door shut behind Pegasus.

"Well...it's a little going-away present from myself and your teacher...I do hope you like it."

Pegasus opened the door, and the three teens'mouthes were agape with pure shock.

"OH...MY...GOD!"

**HA! You'll just have to wait and see on the surprise! Sorry, people. Oh, I updatedone ofmy otherfics, Test of Friendship, today, so you may want to check it out. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all soon.**

**BDB...out.**


	9. Departure

**A/N: **Hello, hello, my loyal readers! Thanks for putting up with more of my mindless babbling, and here's a quick mailbag session:

**LadyPhoenix99: **LOL…cliffhangers are great! Anyways, thanks for checking out not only this fic, but Test of Friendship as well. Thanks also for the rave reviews of both! Enjoy the chapter!

**The Broken Bow: **True story here. A couple of friends of mine were sitting around watching Monday night football, and one team calls for a time-out. This was the John Madden quote, as close as I could get to the actual thing he said:

_**"Uh, Well you see, Al, they called a time-out there to save time for the offense."**_

We had been pointing out some of the painfully obvious things he says sometimes before this statement, and we all looked around at each other and laughed our butts off. I love Madden, but sometimes he says the silliest things. Enough rambling, glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Well...let's press on, eh? Enjoy the chapter!

**_Chapter Nine: Departure_**

**_Domino City, Japan_**

Yugi tapped his foot nervously, the airport's PA system droning on in the background.

**_Attention all passengers, the flight for Starlight City will be leaving in 20 minutes, thank you._**

"Where the heck is Joey?" Tea said, adjusting her medium length skirt on her hips. "He said he would be here and HOUR ago!"

"Heck if I know, he's probably watching a porno or something at his house." Tristan put in, sitting down in a nearby chair.

"Yeah, I saw his stash...he's a real hentai." Duke said, shaking his head. Ryou blushed a little, but otherwise kept silent about the issue.

"Well...if it isn't the Geek Patrol."

For about three seconds, no one spoke. They didn't even have to turn and see whom that voice belonged to. They knew about the trenchcoat. The money. The little brother who follows him around everywhere he goes. The Blue Eyes White Dragon cards. The hair. Everything.

"And good morning to you too..._Mr. _Kaiba." Tea spat out, her voice full of sarcasm.

"Shut your hole, Gardener. Yugi...I have something to say to you.When we arrive in Starlight City, and this third-rate tournament begins...I'll be looking for you. I'm going to hunt you down like the little animal you are. And I will take the Egyptian Gods from your hands...Remember that as you and your little pack of losers huddle up to keep yourselves warm in Coach."

For a moment, Kaiba and Yugi glared at each other, knowing in their minds that, all things considered, they would meet yet again in a Duel Monsters tournament.

"Heh...I thought ya had your own jet, moneybags." A blonde approached the two, then stood by the spiky-haired Yugi.

"As a matter of fact, I do, mutt. It will be landing here shortly...anyway, when will you realize that you are nothing but Yugi's little tag-along? Nothing more. Stay out of my way, or I'll put you in your proper place...again." With that little rant, Kaiba walked off, leaving Joey (who had to be restrained by Tristan, Ryou, and Duke) and Yugi wondering about events to come.

**_Tuscaloosa, Alabama_**

A young man, with medium length auburn hair, loaded up his father's minivan, preparing for the long trip.

"You sure you have everything you need in there, Gabe?"

"Yes, sir. Everything's in here."

"Well...you take care now...you got a long trip ahead of you."

His blue eyes, pale and haunting, sparkled slightly. "I know, dad. Thanks...for everything."

"You're welcome, son. Now...get to Starlight City and duel your 'Bama ass off!"

With that, Gabe pulled out of the driveway, his destination hundreds of miles away. In the end, he hoped it would be worth it.

**_Madrid, Spain_**

Mai Valentine boarded the plane with reservations in her heart. _Can I still do this? Can I continue to play with Joey's heart like this...can I keep playing this game with myself?I mean...what if he doesn't feel the same way I do? What if he thinks I'm gross for asking out someone his age? What...what if he found someone who makes him happy?_

Worries and all, Mai took her seat on board the 747. She was going to take her shot at Joey's heart...win or lose.

_**Cairo, Egypt**_

Marik looked over at his older sister, who was sleeping silently in the seat beside him. _They'll accept my sister...but not me. Heh...I don't think I would want to be around someone who plotted to take over the world either. I really hope that somehow, someway, they give me a chance to show them that I've changed._

Marik, tired from the day's traveling, let sleep take hold of him. He would worry about Yugi and his friends when he saw them.

**_Somewhere in the Northern USA_**

Quincy speeded down the highway, his Harley-Davidson motorcycle humming along as he went. _It won't be long now...I will finally humble that those two fools! Then, everyone will see. Everyone will finally here the truth...that truth being that I'm the strongest duelist on this planet. They will learn to NEVER overlook me again! Hahahahahaha! _

**_Angel Island...somewhere in the Carribean_**

"You guys got us our own jet?" Kat wandered around the plane in astonishment.

"Yes we did, Miss Kitty. Go ahead, look inside." Pegasus encouraged her, a smile on his face.

Bo was speechless, as usual, but did look around at the jet, as if he was pleased with it. It was a pretty enough plane, it's white exterior and medium size aside. On the inside, Kat found a cache of weapons, books, snacks, even a PS2. It appeared that the plane had everything.

"You did this for us, Mr. Pegasus?" Kat asked as she ran back out of the plane.

"Yes...Cathernine...you three have a flight to catch, so I better be leaving."

"Wait...before you do...thank you, Pegasus." Alex extended his hand to the millionaire, as did his friend Bo. Kat...she grabbed him into a tight bear hug.

"You're all welcome. The pilot is all ready to take off, so you three should join miss Rika on board. Good luck..."

"Well...you two ready?" Kat teased as she raced up the steps of the ramp."

"Hey...does this thing have a damn bathroom?" Bo asked as he took to the ramp as well.

Alex stood there for a moment, realizing how much his life had changed. After his mother died, and no immediate family to speak of, he basically became homeless, doing whatever was necessary for his survival. He had been caught smuggling drugs into various parts of New York City, and eventually was caught. Instead of going to prison...he was blessed with a chance like this. He hoped to make the most of it.

**_Starlight City, USA_**

****

Ivan watched the surveilance cameras of his huge corporate complex. It was not only where he, his wife and daughter lived, but it was also where he conducted buisness, and where most of his secrets were kept. As he watched the surveilance, he saw that she was digging through one of his most top-secret files.

_Karin...you should know better than try to betray me this way.I taught you everything you know. Oh well...have your little fun. Throw your pathetic little party...but know this. When the game ends...so will you!_

**That's all my brain will allow in this chapter. Next chapter, our heroes and villans gather for what should be an interesting prelude to the tournament! What secrets is Ivan holding, and what plans does he have for his daughter? See you all later, I'm out. **

**BDB...out**


	10. Arrival, Part I

**A/N**: What's up, loyal readers? A quick reply to your reviews, and I'll start the next chapter:

**LadyPhoenix:** I just have one thing to say: this is where this fic will get it's true start! You can take that one to the bank! Thanks for reading!

**The Broken Bow**: Hey...hope you get a chance to read this! Good luck with your work, and enjoy the chapter!

With that out of the way, I guess we can continue on with the fic. Enjoy!

**Chapter Ten: Arrival, Part I**

Yugi and his friends arrived in Starlight City on an early Wednesday morning. They saw the mountains overlooking the city, the many skyscrapers and buildings, and something that appeared to be an indoor arena of somekind in the middle of the city. By all accounts, it had to be one of the better looking cities they had ever visited. After leaving the plane, the young duelists were met by a man in a buisness suit.

"Are you part of the delegation from Japan?"

Yugi nodded his head. "Yes, sir. Is this where we were supposed to report?"

"Yes. I have been instructed to give you the keyes for your hotel suite downtown. You will be residing on the fifth floor. All other instructions await you in your respective rooms. Good day."

After recieving the keys, Yugi and his friends were directed to a bus that would take them to the hotel in which they would be staying.

"Geesh...dat guy seemed a little stiff ta me." Joey said as he fixed his shirt collar.

"Yeah, he was probably some underpaid newbie who got stuck with the job of running this tournament." Tristan put in.

Yugi looked out of the window of the bus, taking in the scenery of the city. There were flower shops and restaurants on every corner, and it seemed like a pleasant place to visit. But something was still bothering him.

* * *

Quincy had finally arrived. He parked his motorcycle in the parking lot, and removed his helmet. 

"Um...excuse me, sir. Are you one of the competing duelists in the competition?"

The tall biker glared down at the young woman questioning him, his emotionless brown eyes startling her a little. "Yes. Is this the piece of crap hotel that I was supposed to report to?"

"Yes, sir. Your keys and registration papers are waiting in the lobby."

"Good." He glared at the woman again, and made his way towards the hotel lobby. Quincy knew that very soon is dream of dethroning Yugi Mutou would soon be realized.

* * *

Gabe was struggling to stay awake. Fortunately for him, he had finally arrived at his destination. "Starlight City. It's a beautiful place." 

He remembered where he had come from. His mother and father were divorced when he was a baby, and his mother took custody. He loved them both, but each had their share of problems. His father was a convicted felon, making good jobs very difficult to find. His mother was worse. A lot worse._Gabe was hiding in his closet, silently praying that his mother didn't find him. She hated her when she drank. She would start wrecking things around the house, shouting curses at him and their neighbors, and anything else she could think of._

_"GABE! Where are you, boy? You come here NOW!"_

_He had no clue why she was so angry with him, but just knew that she was. He knew that she would find him eventually. And find him she did._

_"What in the hell is this?" She waved a piece of paper in his face, her hazel eyes glaring at him harshly._

_"It's my report card, mama. What's wrong?"_

_"Look at it you little pissant!" She threw the paper in his face._

_"I thought you would like it. No Bs or Cs this time!" The boy tried to put a smile on his face to cheer up his mother._

_"Shut up! You...you're just like your daddy, aren't you? Think you're so smart don't you? Your little report card doesn't impress me any, and neither does your attitude. Come here, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"_

_She grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him into her bedroom, a whip behind her. "You know something, Gabe...my daddy used to take this very same whip, wrap it around this wooden stick he had and beat me and my older sisters across the stomach with it until we got sick and threw up. You know what? That's the same fuckin' feeling I get when I look at you, sick to my stomack!"_

_She raised the whip up and began to lash on the ten-year-old. All the little boy could do was cover up and hope that this torture would end soon. He felt the whip tear through his clothes and skin, drawing blood as it did._

Those beatings continued until he was twelve, when the State of Alabama took custody rights away from his mother and gave him to his father, who had become an auto technican. He had forgiven his mother, but he would never forget. Never.

* * *

Karin sat in her dressing room, fixing the blouse that she had decided to wear for the occasion. _All the pieces are in place now. Soon, I'll have enough power in my posession to bring the entire world to its knees...Father, you better stay out of my way, or I'll make sure that you live to regret it!_

**Interesting developments before the start of the tournament! And what does Karin mean by bringing the world "to its knees"? Find out next time, as the rest of our competitors arrive and the tournament officaly gets underway...in a nightclub? **

**Thanks for reading, and I have an announcement up on my profile about my new update plan. I'll only be updating my stories once a week all the time now, part to make it easier for my fans to keep up with when I'll update, part of it to give me time to turn out longer chapters for you guys (or girls). Thanks for reading, criticisms are welcome, and thanks for spending part of your day (or night) with me! **

**BDB...out.**


	11. Arrival, Part II

**A/N: **Hey, loyal readers. Thanks for taking some time to read my fics, and I hope you like this chapter.

**Shy and LeighC: **Well…this is a three-part story, if you didn't know, and I can guarantee that the finale will be happy. But as far as this first part, I can't. Hope you still love me! Thanks for reading.

**The Broken Bow: **LOL, you're welcome. It appears that it will be slowing down even further! I'll probably be working late night shifts a lot, so there won't be as much update time as before. Enjoy this one, another chapter may not come in this story for a while yet!

**Chapter 11: Arrival, Part II**

_Alex looked around at the devastation, the sky blackened by smoke and rainclouds. Dozens of people lay on the ground, slaughtered. Men, women, children...the evil was indiscriminant. He was desperately searching for his friends by this point as panic and terror reigned supreme in his mind. He tripped over the body of a young boy who appeared to be no older than eleven or twelve with long black hair. Laying beside him was another boy, older with chestnut colored hair._

**_There is nowhere else to run..._**

_He heard the voice calling out to him and tried to run away_.

**_You're wasting your time trying to run. If you give up, I'll bury you with your friends..._**

_He kept running, but deep in his heart he knew there was nothing to run to. Everything was gone._

**_Maybe if you beg...I'll let you be my pet. Would you like that?_**

_Suddenly, the voice was replaced by another voice, this one appearing to be at least somewhat friendly._

**_Listen young one...this is your fate, should you and your friends fail. They will all die and you will be doomed to wander alone. to defeat your enemy. You will be tested...people will pretend to be your friends, others will pretend to be your enemies. You must trust only one thing: your heart. If not, the entire planet could suffer the consequences. _**

_With that, the dream ended._

Alex jumped up with a start.

"Are you O.K?" Kat looked over at him as if he were from Mars.

"Yeah...just had a bad dream."

"O.K...take it easy, alright? We'll be landing in about twenty minutes."

Alex nodded as he rested his head on the seat pillow.

_What the hell was that dream about? Who was speaking to me? And who were those two dead guys I found?_

* * *

Yugi and his friends were heading downstairs on the elevator in the hotel provided for the Duelists competing in the tournament.

"Hey Yug, when are we supposed ta start?" Joey was looking over his deck, making sure that everything was in order.

"I don't know. Karin said something about a party tonight downtown; perhaps we'll find out more then."

When they finally made it down the elevator, Yugi noticed a group waiting for them. There were eleven of them, four young men, seven young women.

"So...you're the legendary Yugi Mutou!" One of the young men spoke up, his skin a dark brown. He wore a purple shirt with the face of a tiger printed on the front.

"Uh-oh...do you know who these guys are, Yugi?" Tea said as she looked over the group with a great deal of worry.

_Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here. All of the duelists here are probably after Yugi's God Cards! Thank God he left them home..._

The group stepped forward to stand face to face with Yugi, Joey and their supporters.

"And you must me Joey Wheeler, the blundering fool who couldn't close the deal not once but TWICE at Battle City!"

At this comment, Joey was immediately restrianed by Tristan and Ryou. "Who da heck are you guys anyways!"

The young black duelist smiled. "Here in the U.S., they call us the Alliance. A group that has had a grip on Duel Monsters ever since it's been here. Let me introduce our members."

"Over on the left, we have Penny."

The skinny strawberry blonde wore a red cap on her head, a T-shirt that was both red and grey, and very tight blue jeans. She looked over in the direction of Ryou and gave him a seductive smile and wink. Ryou's cheeks immediately flushed with embarassment.

"She's out of Columbus, Ohio. Next, we have Zach."

A massive figure appeared behind the girl he had just introduced. He wore a burnt orange shirt and a big white cowboy hat. As he was introduced, he tipped his cap to Yugi and the gang.

"If you couldn't tell by the clothing that our big friend has on, he's from Austin, Texas."

"Next, we have the Sterling Triplets: Vivian, Veronica, and Vanessa."

The three were identical triplets with dark hair and green eyes, so they each wore different clothing and hairstyles so that they could be told apart. Vivian let her dark auburn hair grow long and curly, and she wore a T-shirt and shorts which were about five inches above the knee. The shirt was orange and blue and had the letters "AU" displayed prominently in the front. Veronica wore a similar outfit, accept her shirt was orange and white and had a giant capital T in front. Her hair was done into one long braid going down her back. Vanessa dressed more conservatively than her sisters, choosing to wear a medium length skirt and matching blouse. Her hair was short, and she wore a pendant with a golden capital V on the centerpiece.

"These three beautiful ladies each live in different areas of the Southeast. Now, onto the Granger Twins, Harlan and Wade."

Harlan smiled menacingly in Yugi's direction, his blonde hair covered up by a Confederate battle flag bandana. His green eyes had a certain arrogance to them, but also a genuine, hidden warmth. He wore a dark blue shirt and black jeans.

His brother Wade had a similar set of green eyes, but his hair was a wavy brown and came down past his shoulders. His shirt was maroon and hada giant M displayed on the front.

"These two bad boys reside in Starkville and Oxford Mississippi."

The young man pointed to three young women who were sitting down in the center of the lobby, reading.

"Thats Grace with the long blondebraids. She's a super-hottie from Hawaii. Over on the other end of the couch is Marie, she's a fiesty little Jayhawk from Kansas. And sitting in the rocking chair is Alice, who comes to us from Boston. Thereare supposed to be twelve of us...but we lost him nearly three years ago."

Yugi nodded his head respectfully. "We're sorry to hear that."

"No, not like _that._ He just left our group after a little dispute. You see, the competition for national champion is not open to all in the US. Each year, only 119 duelists are eligible for the title. After long series of tournaments and such, a committee gathers and selects a champion. One year, our lost member was elected co-champion, along with me. Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself! I am the pride of the Purple and Gold Nation, the Master of Beasts, and the undisputed leader of the Alliance. My name is Malakai Blair. Remember it, Yugi.my legions of fanswill chant it when I defeat you to win this touranment."

"Are you done?" The voice that came out of Yugi's body was no longer his own.

"So it's true...You do change. It doesn't matter. I will still emerge as champion."

Yami and Malakai glared face to face, a crowd of friends and duelists watching, including a certain CEO and his brother.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you in competition, Yugi. This will be a tournament to remember, eh?"

"It will."

"Are you two done grandstanding yet? I have buisness to take care of." Everyone's attention turned to Seto Kaiba, his little brother Mokuba at his side.

"Kaiba..."

"Oh, do my eyes decieve me? It's Seto Kaiba. You're here as well? The two big fish from Japan are on my turf at long last!"

"Spare me. You are nothing more than a paper champion who uses his influence to win titles."

"How dare you! You'll pay forinsulting methat way Kaiba! I swear it!"

"You're not in my league." Kaiba and Malakai faced off, doezens of duelists gathered around them.

This confrontation allowed Yugi and his friends to slip quietlyout of thehotel, where they unfortunately ran into another eager challenger. This one was a tall, lanky figure with long blue hair and brown eyes thatheld an intensity that was rivaled only by SetoKaiba.There was something different abouthis glare, however, that Yugi couldn'tquite put his finger on.

"You're Yugi Mutou, correct?"

Yugi nodded, as the entire group collectively heaved a heavy sigh and thought in their heads "Here we go, again."

"I'm Quincy Cole,Unbeaten Canadian NationalChampion."

Ryou's eyes turned into saucers as he realized who they were speaking with. "The 'Red EyesMaster'?"

"The same. Whichreminds me,Wheeler. You have something that I want, and I_will _have it."

"Oh, no!You're not gettin' ya grubby little hands on my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The tall figure laughed slightly and turned his back to Yugi. "We'll see. Yugi...you and anyone who opposes me will be destroyed. You can pull your little magic acts with these other ignorant fools, but I'm not afraid. I'll see you soon."

As he walked off,Tea finally spoke."That guy's pretty cute, but he'stoo damn creepy."

"Easy Tea, don't go falling for every guy you see!" Tristan mocked.

"That's impossible...I won't fall for you in a million years."

Tristan winced at the brunette's comeback. "Ouch!"

"Let's go see the city guys. Something tells me this might be the only chance we get!" Yugi half-joked. Everyone nodded in agreement, until they were stopped yet again.

"Joseph!"

Joey turned around...and immediately his pulse rate increased two-fold.

"Catch me...if you can that is!"

Mai disappeared into a subway entrance, and Joey decided to go and chase her. It may be the only chance of telling her how he truly felt.

* * *

Gabe had unpacked his bags, gathered his deck, and began to look through it.

_Creatures of the deep, I hope you can help me once again. I've been away for what seems like an eternity. I'll need your strength if I'm to achieve my goal...breaking up the Alliance! I don't care at what cost, those corrupt individuals must be shut down, once and for all! That's the only way Duel Monsters will gain integrity here in the United States. That's the only way to make my National Championship mean a damn thing to me. That's the only way I'll be able to sleep at night. Malakai...your time is running short. Get Ready!_

* * *

Karin walked into the giant underground hangar, amazed at the size of her father's ultimate project.

_Soon, so very soon, the Vega Carrier will be fully operational. And when that happens, it will finally be time to eliminate my father. With him out of the way, I will be free to wage war on whomever or whatever I choose!_

* * *

Alex, Kat, and Bo finally reached their shared hotel room. (Kat had a room to herself, but her room had a door which leads to Bo and Alex's room.)

"You boys ready?" Kat asked as she examined her dress in the mirror, ready to head to the big party that was scheduled.

"I was born ready. Alex?" Bo fixed the collar on his shirt and dusted off his hat.

"Of course. Rika, what are our instructions?"

"Simple...watch and wait. We'll make no moves until we're sure we have something we believe to be a threat on our hands."

**_While some people play the game of love, others are playing for personal glory and redemption. Some are ruthless, playing for revenge and corruption. Who will prevail? Finally, the tournament will begin. The first match? Let's just say there will be a lot of Crimson involved. _**

**Hope you enjoyed it. I'm out!**

**BDB...out**


End file.
